U.S. ambassador arrives in Sudan after a quarter of a century
August 24, 2022 ( KHARTOUM) — John Godfrey, U.S. first ambassador to Sudan in 25 years, arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday with hopes that he would support a democratic transition and enhance bilateral relations.
In a statement released after his arrival, the U.S. embassy described Ambassador Godfrey as a “senior representative of the U.S. Government”.
He “will work to strengthen relations between the American and Sudanese people and to support their aspirations to freedom, peace, justice, and the transition to democracy,” read the statement.
In addition, the diplomat “looks forward to advancing priorities related to peace and security, economic development, and food security,” further stressed the embassy.
After his arrival in Khartoum, the Ambassador said he would work to strengthen bilateral relations and support a democratic transition in Sudan.
“I look forward to deepening relations between Americans and Sudanese and to supporting the Sudanese people’s aspirations to freedom, peace, justice, and a transition to democracy,” he said in a tweet posted from Khartoum.
On January 26, 2022, the White House announced that President Joe Biden picked John Godfery, a career diplomat, as the first U.S. ambassador to Sudan.
From 2002 until Godfrey’s appointment, the U.S. embassy in Khartoum was headed by a Chargé d’affaires.
In May 2002, Jeffrey Millington took office as the first chargé d’affaires after long years of U.S. absence from Sudan after blacklisting the East African country on the list of state-supporting terrorism in 1993.
Lucy Tamlyn was the last chargé d’affaires serving in Sudan as she left the country days before the arrival of Godfrey.
In 1997, the U.S. administration imposed comprehensive sanctions on Sudan and stiffened them during the Bush administration.
The new ambassador to Sudan is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. Until recently he served as Principal Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism.
As he speaks Arabic, he served in Riyadh, Baghdad, Tripoli, and Damascus.
Also, he was the Chief of Staff to then U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns in 2013-14, where they dealt with Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the removal from office of President Morsy by the Egyptian army removal and the emergence of ISIS.
(ST)